What good is celebrating talent if we keep closing the door to opportunity?
Join the Community Coalition for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to noon Pacific for a public livestream panel honoring National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Dr. Kirk Adams, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion (ISDI), has assembled an exemplary panel of leaders with disabilities for a candid conversation about talent, opportunity, and meaningful careers.
Moderator Mai Ling Chan, founder of the Exceptional Leaders Network and host of the Xceptional Leaders podcast, will lead the discussion with:
- Tanner Gers, founder and CEO of AccessAbility Officer, whose work advances digital accessibility and employment opportunities for blind professionals.
- LaMondre Pough, speaker and leadership strategist whose work centers on authenticity, inclusion, and belonging.
- Nandita Gupta, senior product manager for AI and accessibility at Cisco, with expertise in inclusive technology and design.
- Mitchell Hunter, Trans rights activist, brings lived experience with disability and a personal perspective on barriers to opportunity.
Drawing on lived experience and professional insight, panelists will explore the barriers that prevent talent from being recognized, hired, and developed; how disability intersects with other identities; and what employers, colleagues, and communities can do to open doors to meaningful careers.
Employment shapes more than a paycheck. It can influence our sense of identity, connection, purpose, and belonging. Creating access to opportunity is work we all share.
Please join us, and invite someone who can help turn this conversation into action. Open to the public; Coalition membership is not required.
Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D.
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation
” Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic advantage. “
Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion (ISDI)
Executive Director
Strengthening individual and organizational capability for creating diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces.
Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here
American Foundation for the Blind
Immediate Past President & CEO
To create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired.
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